Former undisputed champion Evander Holyfield believes that UFC superstar Conor McGregor has a chance of beating Manny Pacquiao in a crossover fight... even if it's a boxing fight.

McGregor is currently 0-1 in his boxing career after losing to Floyd Mayweather in 2017, and while many will write off the Irishman again, Holyfield says that McGregor is quite capable of defying the odds.

Holyfield told SunSport: “Well, he’s got longer arms. So he has reach advantage.

"So he has to keep Pacquiao to the side and throw the punches straight, which is going to be difficult. You’re talking about fighting somebody who has been doing boxing their whole life.

"McGregor’s strength is grabbing people and turning people and flipping people, where he had more things to think about."

Despite the praise, the American boxing legend was also adamant that McGregor will be in for quite the challenge should he come up against the Filipino boxing legend.

"When you to boxing where you’re boxing and using your hands only and not kicking, it is going to be difficult for someone like McGregor.

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"It makes it even more difficult because, as I said, Pacquiao has been doing it all his life and his hand routine is perfect.

"And regardless anybody gets into a fight with him the only person who’s going to have a better chance to beat him is somebody younger doing the same thing he does, which is boxing.

"But if you are the same age there’s not much difference because then you’re going to get whooped.”

Holyfield then once again praised McGregor and his fighting spirit, which the American believes would be the driving force that leads him to a potential victory.

"He has that heart to fight, heart of a fighter. He can fight so ain't nobody just going to beat him up in no kind of way. Just like the boxers, he has the mentality of a fighter.

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"Manny, even if he went into a MMA fight he would get kicked but he will get some punches in there and fight, he may get tore up in the end but he is a fighter who is able to do something because of the mentality and how we fighters think. So, McGregor has a chance."

When asked if he would coach McGregor ahead of the rumoured fight, Holyfield said: "If I was asked then I would go out to him and say to him, 'You know what, do this thing.

"The thing is that I’m not a ‘coach’. I can give him good advice, but I’d have someone else hold the hand pads – I don’t know how to hold hand pads! – I came up hitting hands pads.”

Rumours of this potential fight have circulated the internet for over a year now. Both McGregor and Pacquiao are represented by the same management, so only time will tell whether this superfight actually comes to fruition.

For now, though, McGregor will be 100% focused on his upcoming bout with Dustin Poirier on January 23.